Ban sepeda saya kempis tadi pagi.

to be

Breakdown of Ban sepeda saya kempis tadi pagi.

• saya: my
• tadi pagi: this morning
• ban sepeda: the bicycle tire

Questions & Answers about Ban sepeda saya kempis tadi pagi.

Where is the verb “was”? Why is there no “to be” in the sentence?

Indonesian usually drops “to be.” Adjectives can serve directly as the predicate. So kempis functions like “is/was flat.” The past time is indicated by the time phrase tadi pagi (“this morning/earlier this morning”), not by changing the adjective. That’s why Ban sepeda saya kempis tadi pagi means “My bicycle tire was flat this morning.”

Is kempis an adjective or a verb?

It’s primarily a stative adjective meaning “flat/deflated.” In Indonesian, such adjectives can function like verbs in sentences (no “to be” needed). If you want the action “to deflate/deflate,” use the verb mengempis (intransitive) or mengempiskan (transitive, “deflate something”).

How do I say “went flat” (a change happened) rather than just “was flat”?

Use an intransitive verb or a change-of-state cue:

• Tadi pagi ban sepeda saya mengempis. (My bicycle tire deflated this morning.)
• Tadi pagi ban sepeda saya jadi kempis. (…became flat.)
• Add adverbs for suddenness: tiba-tiba, mendadak (e.g., Tiba-tiba ban sepeda saya kempis.)

Should it be kempis or kempes?